Essential Communications is an independent Public Relations agency specialising in the travel retail sector.

Tuesday, 11 November 2014

Imperial Tobacco puts itself and its customers into the traveller’s shoes – and 20 winners in a helicopter

TFWA World Conference & Exhibition in Cannes was not only a very special anniversary (for TFWA) and a tremendous success for Imperial Tobacco, it was also a fantastic surprise for 20 lucky winners, and finally lead to a sum of 6000€ raised for TFWA Care.

This year Imperial Tobacco invited its booth visitors to participate in a game based on its traveller focus approach. To win, the participants had to get the visuals of three Chinese travellers in a row – the winning line given that the Chinese are the industry’s highest spending travellers. The prize was a great surprise to the lucky 20 winners: a unique helicopter trip along the Côte d’Azur and over Île Sainte-Marguerite, the island famous for its fortress prison (the Fort Royal,) in which the so-called ‘Man in the Iron Mask’ was held in the 17th century.

Imperial commissioned a five-seater helicopter from Tuesday to Friday. The winners were picked up in the morning by the ‘Imperial Airlines’ shuttle bus and stewardess and then dropped off at the Palais after the flight to carry on with their busy schedules in time.

Celebrating the 30th birthday of TFWA, 30€ were donated to the TFWA Care charity for every participant, whether or not they won. Imperial Tobacco will present the 6000€ check to TFWA President Erik Juul-Mortensen later this month at the MEADFA conference in Dubai.

Said Imperial Tobacco’s Marketing Operations Manager Julia Neumaier: ‘As a company, Imperial Tobacco is committed to charity initiatives and the 30th anniversary of TFWA World Conference & Exhibition was offering the decision for TFWA Care. We were delighted with the response from visitors to our stand – it was a fun way both to promote our traveller focus approach and to create some big smiles from winners!’

About TFWA Care
Back in 2005, the TFWA Management Committee voted to formalize the Association’s support of charity projects and worthy causes through the creation of TFWA Care.
The mission of TFWA Care is to distribute financial resources to humanitarian organizations or charities that benefit people – especially women and children – through tangible, start-to-finish projects enabling recipients to help themselves to improve their lives.
TFWA Care aims to select a small number of causes that meet these criteria and which have a special attachment to TFWA and/or any of its members. In 2014, TFWA Care has donated some €402,000 to thirteen different projects.